The overall objective of this research is to relate the physical properties of lipids in monolayers to the properties of lipids in natural membranes. Desorption kinetics will be used to study ionization at the monolayer surface and to establish counter ion selectivity patterns. The effect of chaotropic anions on the desorption of fatty amine cations and fatty acid anions will be studied in detail by measuring the initial surface area and initial desorption coefficient for the ionizing species in the presence of specified chaotropic anions. Desorption data will be correlated with data on lipid solubility in various buffers. Ionization and counter ion binding will be studied by infrared spectra. The infrared spectra will be obtained from internal reflection spectroscopy on monolayers in the Langmuir trough and on Langmuir-Blodgett films. Internal reflection spectroscopy will be extended to studies on the kinetics of oxidation reactions in a surface. The oxidation of vitamin E will be investigated in initial experiments. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Brownlee, N.R., L.C. Long, S.P. Balcerzak, P.A. Bromberg, R.L. Mills, and D.G. Cornwell. 1974. Relationship between erythrocyte lipid content and cell volume: regression equations for comparing normal and sickle cell populations. Physiol. Chem. Physics 6: 479-487.